Breaking News English

Turkish police have tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon against protestors outside the offices of a national newspaper in Istanbul. The demonstrators were against the takeover of a private newspaper by the Turkish government. Turkish authorities control of the company that Turkey's best-selling newspaper Zaman. The paper once a supporter of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, but then one of his fiercest critics. Authorities say Zaman links to the US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who the government says a coup to President Erdogan. Commentators it is another blow for freedom in Turkey.

The takeover of Zaman by the Turkish government has concerns in Europe about Turkey's readiness to the European Union. European Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn the latest developments recent progress by Turkey. The chairman of Germany's foreign affairs committee said, "the violent action against a critical newspaper" and "the fact that the government takes over the whole paper a severe blow…against the freedom of press". The editor-in-chief of Zaman's English newspaper : "Our [final] headline about us again, and that should an idea about the kind of democracy in the country. There's no rule of law in Turkey."